The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 2004
Filed:
Sep. 27, 2002
Applicant:
Inventors:
Ravinder Aggarwal, Gilbert, AZ (US);
Jim Kusbel, Fountain Hills, AZ (US);
Jim Alexander, Tempe, AZ (US);
Assignee:
ASM America, Inc., Phoenix, AZ (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/131 ; H01L 2/1469 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/131 ; H01L 2/1469 ;
Abstract
A substrate fabrication system is provided which includes a buffer station located inline between a front docking port and a loadlock chamber, the buffer station being operatively joined with a front handling chamber. Preferred embodiments employ a buffer station having a rack with reduced pitch, or relative spacing between shelves. Additional embodiments provide variable pitch end effectors as part of the disclosed fabrication system. Methods of fabricating wafers by quickly transferring them to purgeable buffer stations upon wafers arriving at a docking port are also provided.
Published as: